To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] farmers' market manners
Date: Sat, 21 May 2011 22:01:21 -0400
On May 21, 2011, at 8:53 PM, Stephen Sadler wrote:
How do you [ . . . ] sellers of produce feel about tasting and
walking away?
I can't speak for everybody; but I have no objection to it. A customer
who goes all around the market tasting everybody's strawberries, and
then buys from somebody, is fine with me; even if it isn't my
strawberries that they wind up buying.
The only taster I've ever had a problem with was one person who wanted
to stand there and eat all the strawberries I put out for sampling. If
I refilled the sample box, he'd come back for more. I eventually had
to tell him, quite firmly, "One per variety to a customer." But that
was one customer, over what is now nearly twenty years of farmers'
markets. -- though I do remember the woman who got angry because her
strawberry was juicy.
I've had plenty of people taste and not buy. I don't expect every
sample berry to bring in a customer -- but some of them do; more than
enough to make it worth my while to put them out.
How much attention I give the taster may depend on how busy the stand
is at that moment. And I'm one of the ones who prefer honest feedback.
I have noticed, over the years, that not everyone prefers the same
thing; and customers who ask me which one is best are liable to be
told that not everyone agrees on that, which seems to disconcert some
of them, but it's true. I will tell them which is my personal favorite
when I've got one.
-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale